ESPN has suspended Bill Simmons for three weeks after he repeatedly called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a liar during a profane tirade on a podcast.

ESPN announced the suspension Wednesday.

"Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN's journalistic standards," ESPN said in a statement. "Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks."

Simmons' podcast was released Tuesday. He said he thought Goodell lied about not knowing what was on a security video that showed former Ravens running back Ray Rice hitting his wife in an elevator.

Simmons is the editor of the sports web site "Grantland," which is owned by ESPN. He also appears on ESPN's NBA studio shows.

Godell is a POS and I'll be happy to see him go. Bring in Condi Rice as the next commissioner.

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"

I can't believe so many people thinks Simmons suspension was about his comments about the NFL. It's NOT. This is a about an employee provoking and undermining his employer on a public stage. You don't openly say things like "I dare you," to your boss and not get reprimanded in any fashion. If he would've said that in a closed door then maybe the bosses will let that slide, maybe. But not in such public fashion.

Now that I thought about it some more, Simmons is damn lucky he didn't get fire. He took preemptive strike against his own company. I would've axed him and called a meeting to announce to everyone whoever wants to provoke our company in anyway, you come see us and we discuss what's on your mind behind closed door.

Hey Dr. Rice knows and loves football and I THINK would be far more hands off than the current commissioner. Everytime he speaks I hear Pete Roselle spinning in his grave.

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"

Would a political reporter be suspended by his news organization for calling the President a liar? Itís practically in the job description. Bill Simmons, of Grantland and other ESPN enterprises, called Roger Goodell, the N.F.L. commissioner, a liar in a podcast and challenged his bosses to tell him he couldnít say so. For that, Simmons has been suspended for three weeks...

Simmonsís anger is absolutely earned. Goodellís denial is absurd; as Iíve written before, what did he think it looked like when a football player knocked a woman unconscious?... At some point, ESPNís commentators should also get to call one of the more powerful men in their industry a liar.

ESPN has a financial relationship with the N.F.L.óMonday Night Football, to start with, for which it pays $1.9 billion a year in a contract, worth $15.2 billion in all, that runs through 2021óbut it also, one would think, has an interest in its own journalistic identity. That, ultimately, has to be a more essential asset than the integrity of its game-broadcasting contracts; itís what it has to barter. Without some assurance that they are getting fair, critical coverage, viewers might as well be watching the N.F.L. Network, or nothing at all. ESPN makes football seem real. And yet...

There are... rules, or guidelines, about not saying bad words about oneís ESPN colleagues or managers... But the N.F.L., as one hopes ESPN remembers, is not Simmonsís boss.

Do you honestly believe that Rice would be willing to be the 32 owners' lap dog?

Because that is what is required of the NFL commish. This position is not paid to think independently of its 32 bosses.

Believing otherwise is simply naive idealism.

She said she wanted the job...

__________________"Why attack a man for his race or religion when there are so many other PERFECTLY good reasons?" :Dreademiah 2:16 Dread-Head. Texan from DAY ONE & PROUD Honorary Blue Crew member..."Damn it Bill!"

ESPN has a financial relationship with the N.F.L.óMonday Night Football, to start with, for which it pays $1.9 billion a year in a contract, worth $15.2 billion in all, that runs through 2021óbut it also, one would think, has an interest in its own journalistic identity.

First... all we know is that ESPN fired Simmons for not upholding to their journalistic standards. Is that saying they demand a shred of proof before he goes & slanders someone... or is it libel?

Anyway. If ESPN has a contract with the NFL that runs through 2021, can the NFL just yank that contract? I wouldn't think so.